


Genesis

by TheSpasticFantastic



Series: All Is Found [1]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/M, NO BOATS!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:07:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22572244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSpasticFantastic/pseuds/TheSpasticFantastic
Summary: A roleswap AU where Agnarr gets trapped in the Enchanted Forest at the age of twenty following Runeard’s failed attack.
Relationships: Agnarr & Iduna (Disney), Agnarr/Iduna (Disney)
Series: All Is Found [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1624150
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45





	Genesis

**Author's Note:**

> This is part one of four of a new AU series by Fericita and I. A thousand thank yous to Fericita for developing the outline of this AU and letting my play in this world.

Agnarr couldn’t help but laugh as yet another Arendellian soldier took her turn coasting along the surface of the lake. Captain Mattias was laughing and clapping as well, making bets with the other troops about who would fall and who would make it to the nearby shore. Several others of their cohort were further away in a clearing, watching boulders fly through the sky and assembling into all manner of animals. He grinned and wished that his father had permitted him to come earlier. But no matter. He was here now to celebrate the completion of the dam. A project that had taken their finest military Engineers three years to complete, taming the wild river that flowed from the north so that their Northuldra neighbors could enjoy richer fishing beds. The Council had even expressed their hope that they might choose to clear some of the forest with a body of water that would allow for easier irrigation in Arendelle. Although Agnarr had to admit, it would be a shame to raze the lovely crimson and golden foliage that rustled and swayed in the mid-autumn sun

He glanced around, looking for his father, and smiled to see him having what looked to be a cheerful conversation with Ailo, the leader of the Northuldra. The festivities were to last a full three days, during which they would play both hosts and guests to their northern neighbors. His father had impressed upon him that as the Heir Apparent and Prince of Arendelle, it was important for him to take a larger role in the diplomatic negotiations with the Northuldra. He would come of age next year and the Council had already started planning for the celebration of his twenty-first birthday. Although several possible candidates had already been presented to him and found wanting, his father had told him that the search for his future Queen would start in earnest soon. He took a sip from his mug of mead and approached the pair. Ailo smiled in greeting.

“Good afternoon, Prince Agnarr. It’s a nice change to see you here instead of in Arendelle.”

“Yes, he’s old enough now that I know he’ll behave himself,” Runeard chuckled and clapped his son on the shoulder. Agnarr smiled and nodded towards Ailo.

“I am honored to have been invited to your home, sir,” he gestured with his cup at the wondrous displays of magic occurring all around them. “All of this is utterly charming. You and your people live in a blessed land.”

“We are grateful for its gifts and bounties,” Ailo said. “Your father and I were just speaking of gifts and-“

“Oh, come now, Ailo. We can talk of business later. We have three days to watch our people bond. Come, let’s join that group over there.” As Runeard guided the Northuldra leader away, he gave Agnarr a pointed look that indicated he wanted privacy. Agnarr sighed and skirted the edge of the festivities. His father was constantly telling him how he needed to learn statecraft, but had yet to give him any real responsibility or opportunity to gain practical experience. Everything he knew came from books and tutors. He was walking along the edge of the clearing when he saw a flash of movement and color from the corner of his eye. He squinted against the sun that was creating a golden glow amid the dense trees. A bevy of red and yellow leaves whipped past him. 

If he didn’t know better, he could have sworn that he saw the tip of a boot several feet in the air turn and vanish behind a tree. There was another breezy gust of wind that whistled in his ears, pushing at his back. He let it carry him half a hundred yards before he placed a steady hand against a nearby trunk, searching the trees for . . .something. It was quiet save for the rustling of the wind in the boughs of the trees and the thick carpet of leaves that were stirring as he watched intently.

“I’m not down there, you know,” a voice came from just above his head. Agnarr yelped and leapt back, dropping his mug and slipping on a root. He handed in an undignified heap on the forest floor, looking up into the delighted face of a young woman who was laughing at his antics, as she hung upside down from a branch by her knees. “Oh no!” In a remarkably graceful and balletic motion, she righted herself and positively seemed to float down to the earth. She offered him her hand. “Are you alright?”

He had hit the back of his head against the ground when he fell and briefly wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him. “I’m, uh, I’m good.” He said as he took her hand. She had a remarkably strong grip for a woman whose hand was so tiny in his. And quite a bit of strength behind her as she helped pull him to his feet. “Thank you.”

“I’m sorry,” she smiled broadly. He couldn’t help but return it. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“You dropped out of a tree from twelve feet in the air,” he chuckled. “I don’t know if I believe you.” He took her in as she laughed again. Most of the women he had met were of noble birth. Polished, pale, and painted. Refined and proper. Their faces were always composed, their words measured, and their hair in complex styles that, frankly, confused him half the time. His charming assailant, on the other hand, was freckled and tanned, clad in the pants and leathers the Northuldra women seemed so fond of wearing, practical as they were. Her hair was half-bound and wild, her smile radiant and unguarded and he had never seen eyes quite so brilliantly blue.

“I didn’t!” She laughed. “I felt bad for you, trying to find me at ground level.” Agnarr gazed up as a flurry of leaves swarmed around him.

“How did you manage that?” He wondered. “You couldn’t have climbed that quickly without me seeing you.”

“You might be surprised,” she winked. “But the North Wind helped me.” She stretched her arm out and several leaves swirled around it before snaking down and around Agnarr’s torso. “She’s been my friend as long as I can remember.”

“The North Wind?” He smiled and shook his head. His father had told him stories about this place, but he had completely failed to mention how marvelous it truly was. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I used to hear stories of your powers on my nanny’s knee. My name is Agnarr and it’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Lady . . .?”

“I’m Iduna. Just Iduna,” she chuckled. “Agnarr? Prince Agnarr, then?”

He looked at her curiously. She didn’t remind him of any of the representatives from the Northuldra delegation that would visit from time to time to negotiate the construction of the dam. He was certain he would have remembered her. “I’m so sorry, have we met?”

“No, no I’ve never gone to Arendelle. My Uncle Ailo has mentioned you from time to time.”

“Ailo is your uncle?” He raised his eyebrows. “Well, he’s a remarkable man.”

“Thank you, I think so too.” She smiled.

“No, truly. He’s fascinating to listen to and he clearly puts the needs of your people first in his every thought and action. Captain Mattias says he’s as sharp and selfless as they come.”

“Well, thank you, Your,” she brought her hand to her chin and squinted at him. “Highness, is it?”

“Agnarr,” he shrugged playfully. “Just Agnarr. I’ve been told it’s always important to respect local customs when abroad and it doesn’t seem like the Northuldra stand too much on titles and ceremony.”

“Yelana does always say that if you’re really in charge, people just know. And they won’t argue with you too much if they know what’s good for them.” Another string of leaves whipped around her in a multi-colored spiral before shooting up into the air. She smiled up at the sky and then back at him. “But enough politics. Would you like to fly?”

* * * * *

At first, as he flailed around like a drunken duck, Iduna worried that this might have been a bad idea and he was going to kill himself. But aside from a small bump on the head after he scaled a tree a little too enthusiastically, Agnarr had done just fine and seemed to enjoy himself quite a lot. She had enjoyed herself too. Her uncle had mentioned him in passing at family gatherings when asked about Arendelle. That the prince was more earnest than his father, always had a book in his hand and was mature, but cheerful, for his years. He had never mentioned how handsome. She blushed at the thought. Or tall. Or how his smile came so readily. It had all been rather distracting.

So distracting, that they had arrived late for the evening feast. Although it had been simple enough to sit near him as he took his place with his father and her uncle had beckoned her over to reprimand her for her tardiness. And from the corner of her eyes, as the heat rose in her cheeks, she could see him glancing over at her time and time again. He was so obvious, that Lemek, her eldest brother, quietly muttered to their uncle that if the ‘Southern Brat’ didn’t keep his eyes to himself, he would remove them from his skull. Iduna left the meal shortly thereafter. He could be a bit over protective at the best of times and his hackles were up with so many Arendellians around.

Still, she wasn’t surprised when she heard footsteps crunching on the leaves behind her. She slowed her pace and let him fall in step next to her.

“You’re leaving early,” he said.

“So are you.”

He laughed. “Mattias said he was getting worried about one of the men sitting near Ailo. Apparently, the fellow with the purple belt was glaring at me a little too intently.”

“You mean the fellow with the purple belt that has this exact pattern on it?” She smirked and splayed her hands. He paled a bit and she laughed. “My brother. Lemek.”

“Oh. Um. Is it alright for me to be walking with you? Unescorted? I’m not – I’m not trying to be untoward.”

“Untoward?” She gave him a look. “What? No. Our father used to trade in Arendelle. He died from the measles six years ago. Lemek’s heart hasn’t healed yet. He wasn’t happy about the dam.”

“Oh, I’m sorry about your father,” Agnarr replied softly. “I suppose your brother isn’t happy to see us up here, then.”

“He’s a grump, don’t take it personally,” she paused by the kota she was sharing with Duvka. “Will you be at the mid-day celebration tomorrow?”

“I kind of have to be there,” he chuckled. “Father expects it. But . . .I would love to see more of your forest.” He looked shy. “If you have the time to show me in the morning.”

She shrugged and gave him a lopsided grin. “Maybe I can find the time.”

She woke to screams and an impossible sound that she could have sworn was a tree breaking in half. The kota was empty and shaking as she scrambled to her feet and burst out the door, acrid smoke hanging in the air and panicked people running in every direction. Before her disbelieving eyes, a wall of fire snaked its way through the village as flames licked their way up the wooden dwellings, turning them into kindling before leaping high into the trees, causing burning debris to start raining down.

Iduna ran. She crashed headlong into an Arendellian soldier who took one terrified look at her before raising bloodied hands in surrender and staggering in another direction. She gasped in terror as she saw her cousin Ulla drive a hunting spear into the guts of a squirming trooper, pinning the man into the ground. She turned away as a wave of nausea rocked her, only to see an Arendellian soldier thrust a sword into the throat of a Northuldra tribesman armed with only a paring knife. As the soldier caught sight of her, she sprinted into the trees, barely dodging a massive boulder that came crashing from the sky and showered her with a stinging spray of earth. She ran as hard as she could until she broke into a clearing where a pitched battle had clearly been raging for some time. Amid the chaos, and the shrieks, and the smell – she saw him. He was shirtless, for some reason, and held a sword limply in one hand, a sword that looked more like a toy than a weapon, as he gaped at Yelana who stood unarmed before him.

“Strike her down, boy!” She heard an angry bellow over the din and turned her head. King Runeard, his father, couldn’t have been more than twenty paces from her, oblivious in his rage to the group of Northuldra men who were bearing down on him. Stunned, she looked back at Agnarr. Even at this distance, she could see that he was breathing hard and Yelana’s frightened expression as they both stood locked in the horrible moment. And then Agnarr dropped the sword, turned, and bolted for the wood line. Iduna followed his flight and saw several Northuldra start to run after him. She could hear King Runeard screaming in pain as she darted back into the woods.

She stumbled through the trees and by some miracle she could just make out Agnarr crashing through the underbrush a few hundred yards off. She could also hear the shouts of those pursuing him. The cold realization that they would kill him as soon as they caught up with him clutched her heart. She didn’t know what had happened, but she knew that whatever it was, he deserved better than what they would do to him. Desperately, she sang out for the North Wind and found herself lifted up and carried through the trees with breathtaking speed. The roar in her ears was nearly deafening and the leaves from the forest floor were coming up in blinding gusts. She came up quickly behind Agnarr, who gave a strangled shout as he was lifted from his feet, the leaves surrounding them as a final icy blast pushed them high into the boughs of a tree.

He was panting uncontrollably as he clung to the trunk, his chest heaving and covered in a layer of grime. She pressed her fingers against his lips to silence him, certain that his horrified eyes mirrored her own and then pressed a single finger against her own. _Quiet_. She peered down through the remaining autumn leaves. The men who had been chasing him were cursing, coughing and loudly wondering what the spirits were getting up to with their tricks. They continued in the direction that Agnarr had been running, the sun glinting off their weapons. Iduna watched them go. She started as she felt one of Agnarr’s hands gently grip her by her belt before realizing he was trying to keep her from falling out of the tree.

“Are you injured?” She whispered.

“Not badly,” he whispered back.

“We’ll wait until night fall, then climb down. I know a place where you can hide.”

He was clearly trying not to start crying. “Thank you.”

“Did you know?”

“No!” And the word came out with such pain that she couldn’t help but believe him.

She hid Agnarr in a gully that cut through a particularly nasty thicket. It was easy enough for her to crawl in and out of if she wriggled along on her belly, small as she was, but Agnarr had scratches and cuts on his back, arms and head from the thorns. It was unlikely anyone would look for him there. She helped him arrange some thick branches over his body and cover them with leaves to provide extra camouflage.

“You’re already doing so much for me, but can you please find out what happened to Mattias?” He begged her. “And the other soldiers? Mattias – he was hurt, badly. Bleeding from his leg. I tried to use my shirt as a tourniquet, but he told me to run.” His eyes were hollow as he spoke. “So I ran.” He shook his head and rubbed his face. “Iduna. I am so, so sorry that my people . . .that my father . . .brought this violence here. Before we came, he told me that I should come to see the ‘might of Arendelle’. I thought he meant the dam. I should have known.”

She bit her lip. She agreed that he should have known what his father was doing, but doubted that telling him as much would make her feel any better. So instead she gently smacked his arm to interrupt his thoughts. “Listen. They’ll kill you if they find you. Just hide here for now. I’ll bring you something to eat. Something to drink. You’ll need a coat too,” she said as he shivered. “I can bring a salve for that gash on your head.”

The night seemed darker than usual as she made her way back to the village. Smoke hung in the air. Small groups of people were huddled together, weeping and embracing. Nearby, she could just make out several forms laid out on the ground with blankets draped over them. Her heart dropped as she realized one was no larger than a child.

“Iduna!” Lemek’s voice was rough as he came running up to her. He grabbed her into a tight hug and lifted her off of her feet. “You’re alive! We couldn’t find you after the battle. I thought-“ He squeezed her tightly. She hugged him back just as hard. “Everyone else is safe. Duvka and Rueben’s families. Everyone is safe now.” He released her and stepped back. “Uncle Ailo is dead.”

“What?”

“Murdered by that fucking Southern King!” He growled. “We’ve checked the dead, but haven’t found his son yet.”

“Maybe . . .maybe he escaped? Ran home to Arendelle?”

“No,” Lemek shook his head and spat. He jerked his head towards the sky. “You didn’t notice in the dark? There’s some kind of mist surrounding us. And not just the sky, but around the edge of the woods. The spirits are quiet now, but earlier they kept attacking us. All of us. Northuldra and the southern, until we stopped fighting. Then the Earth giants stopped hammering us with their boulders and the Fire Spirit stopped trying to set the village alight. A group of those bastards tried to leave, to go home. They came back and told us about the wall of fog.”

“A wall of fog?” She frowned.

“I know, I know - it sounds insane. But I went myself to check. We can’t leave. Neither can they. We’ve got them corralled in a few huts. They won’t try to leave until we decide what to do with them. And we won’t tie them up if they don’t leave. Yelana and the other elders are tying to figure out what to do with them. Mass execution is out of the question. We can’t risk the spirits destroying what’s left of the village and scattering the few reindeer we’ve got left.” He sighed and waved a hand at the woods. “Watch yourself out there, though. We’ve already come across a few stragglers and there’s bound to be more.” He grinned darkly. “But the spirits don’t seem to pick up on single deaths out in the woods.”

“Lemek!” She hissed. “There hasn’t been enough death today?”

“Sorry, Iduna,” he said apologetically and patted her cheek. “You’re a better person than I am. You’ve always had a soft heart, but you’re a bit too sweet sometimes. But I didn’t mean to upset you. Here, let’s get you something to eat. Stay with us tonight. Mother is helping Anja and you shouldn’t be alone. Get some rest, they’ll need your help tomorrow. It’s been a terrible day for everyone.”

It proved easy to slip away from the village time and time again over the next few days. There were so many wounded that anyone who was willing and able was asked to go foraging for medicinal herbs. Iduna had worked enough with Anja, their tribe’s most skilled healer, that no one thought anything of it when she offered to venture off for the better part of the day in search of hard-to-find ingredients. Duvka even gave her extra food without her asking, warning her not to exhaust herself or walk too far.

“Lemek is right,” he told her. “There are still Arendellians out there. Keep your knife on you and run straight back if you see anything amiss. Yelana wants everyone to tell her immediately if they find any of them out there.”

“I promise,” she said, thinking of the coat she had stripped from the dead soldier in the dead of night. He didn’t need it anymore and was the only one who was close to Agnarr in size. She had no idea what had become of Runeard’s body. She didn’t ask either.

She had told him the first day all that had transpired.

“Your father is dead.” Iduna couldn’t bring herself to offer him an apology or condolences for the man who had brought such violence and misfortune to her land and people.

“I know,” Agnarr mumbled as he drew the coat around him. He had slathered mud on it to keep the blue-green cloth from being too visible in the woods. “He deserved it.” Iduna winced. She wasn’t certain how she had expected him to respond, but that hadn’t been it. “Is Mattias alive?”

“Yes,” she said quickly, a bit relieved to give some good news. “He’s with the other soldiers. They’re safe – for now. I guess the spirits were enraged by the battle – that’s why the fires were breaking out and the boulders were coming through the air. I-I don’t know why the North Wind helped us, but she hasn’t responded to me since.” She sighed. “But the good part of that is Yelana and the others are too scared to kill all the soldiers now. They don’t want to anger the spirits again.”

“That is good,” Agnarr managed a weak smile. “Maybe they’ll be able to head back to Arendelle soon and I can join them.”

“Agnarr,” she bit her lip. “They can’t return to Arendelle. Neither can you. There’s a wall of mist surrounding the forest. My brother has led a small group to ride along our borders, but it’s looking like no one can leave.” She watched as he swallowed hard. They sat in silence for several minutes.

“What would happen to you if someone found you aiding me?” For the first time since she had arrived, he looked directly into her eyes. “What would they do to you? Would you be punished?”

She forced a smile. “Not nearly as much as you’ll be if they catch you.”

“Maybe I deserve it,” he said dully. “For what my father did. For being too stupid and naive to figure it out.” He sighed and gently touched his forehead where she had cleaned and dressed his wound. “But I’m being serious. I’ve caused enough trouble. I should turn myself in.”

“They’ll kill you,” she said bluntly. “Especially given who you are. The soldiers are an insult being tolerated because they can’t kill them all at once without enraging the spirits. But after speaking with my brother,” she looked away. “I’m certain there are other Arendellians they’ve found hiding who are no longer breathing.”

He sighed and dropped his head into his hands. “Regardless,” he muttered. “Perhaps it’s best that you not come any more.” 

But she returned the next day. And the next. Each time bringing him a little more food. A smuggled blanket to keep him from freezing at night after she brought a flint stone and he confessed to her that he had no idea how to use it to make himself a fire. She always brought him supplies and he always apologized for his father’s actions, asked after the welfare of the soldiers and requested she stop putting herself in danger. But Iduna ignored his request and helped him dig in to the wall of the gully to try and create a sleeping space out of the wind and wet earth. She asked him questions about his family, his homeland, his interests, all to keep his mind off his guilt. He answered and asked her questions in return. She kept it light and told him some of the more amusing stories from her youth, funny little things, until she finally elicited a laugh from him on the fourth day. And by the end of the second week, he smiled every time he saw her. She liked that.

She should have known it was too good to last.

Iduna returned to the village later than usual. She had lost track of the time, talking with Agnarr, and it had taken longer than she anticipated to collect the boska and spider webs. She hurried straight to Lemek’s kota and went inside, expecting to see her nephews rolling over one another and the remains of dinner scattered across the table. Instead, it was silent and empty, save for Lemek who was sitting stiffly in his chair. She raised an eyebrow.

“Where are the boys?”

“They’re spending the night with Duvka.” His steady stare made her uncomfortable. As though he were examining her like an insect. “Where did you go today?”

“To the east,” she carefully placed her basket on the ground. “For the boska and spider webs.”

“To the east,” he pursed his lips. “And who was with you?”

She felt her mouth go dry and the color drain from her face as a cold weight settled in the pit of her stomach. “Lemek, I-“

“Who was with you?” He roared, slamming his fist on the table and rising to his feet. She took a step back, eyes wide and wordless. “I heard you talking with him! Saw you sitting there! How long have you known?” He was breathing heavily. “Were you hiding him? Helping him? Of all of them? Him?”

“Lemek! Please!” She begged, grabbing his arm with both hands as he pushed past her. He shoved her away roughly and stormed outside. She hurried to follow him. “He’s harmless! Don’t! Please!”

* * * * *

Agnarr wasn’t surprised that he was eventually discovered, although he was alarmed when they came directly to where he was hiding. He tried to remain quiet as possible as he was marched through the woods, playing deaf and dumb to their questions, hoping that Iduna was smart enough to keep her mouth shut as well. But when they reached the village and he was roughly shoved into a kota that already had an armed man posted outside, the first thing he saw was her. She was huddled on the floor, hugging her knees and leaning against the wall. She had obviously been crying. He spun around.

“She didn’t have anything to do with this!” He shouted and banged the wooden door with his fist. The door flew open and a wooden staff cracked him against his head. He fell to the ground and groaned.

“No. Shouting.” Came the curt order. The door slammed shut once more and he could hear a bar being dropped into place on the other side. He managed to sit up and look over at Iduna in the weak light of a lone, flickering candle.

“I’m so sorry,” she said tearfully. “My brother followed me.”

“Don’t apologize,” he said, carefully touching the swelling lump on his head. “I should be apologizing to you. I shouldn’t’ve let you help me. I should have surrendered after that first day.” He shivered and watched his breath hang in the chilly air. Iduna beckoned him over and he crawled until he was sitting next to her. She carefully pressed herself against his side and brought his arm around her shoulder, wrapping hers around his waist.

“It will be warmer this way,” she sniffled. He nodded dumbly. She rested her head against his shoulder. “They’re deciding what to do with us. Yelana slapped me and said I was a traitor to my people.” Her voice shook and Agnarr squeezed his eyes shut. “She said that you and I will share the same fate.”

She didn’t speak again and he didn’t know what to say. He drifted in and out of a restless sleep, huddled against her. In the back of his mind, some part of him was voicing the concern that this would only damn her further, that it was inappropriate conduct, unbecoming of a man of his station, but he was too exhausted, cold, and comforted by her warmth to pay it any heed.

Still, he was surprised to find, when he woke, that they had slid to the floor at some point in the night and wound up entwined in one another’s arms. Her face half hidden under his coat and pressed against his bare chest, hands gently gripping the thick fabric. His arms were wrapped around her, drawing her against him. As he slowly woke, he became aware of someone standing behind him. Tapping their foot. He turned to see who it was and Iduna stirred as well, blearily opening her eyes and blinking at the light streaming in from the open door.

Yelana was there. Arms crossed. Foot tapping. Face inscrutable as she watched them.

“Rise and shine. You’re getting married.”


End file.
